Thirteen-year-old Seth Walsh took his own life in 2010 after being taunted and bullied by classmates because he was gay. His suicide made national headlines.

Several students acknowledged they had been bullied in school when asked by LAPD volunteer and anti-bullying advocate Monica Harmon. (photo by Edwin Folven)

Two years later, Walsh’s legacy lives in Hollywood, where activists, law enforcement officials, parents and students came together Monday to discuss ways to prevent bullying, particularly over the Internet.

Monica Harmon, a public safety activist and Los Angeles Police Department volunteer, led the program at the Hollywood Palladium, which was attended by approximately 120 parents and their children, ranging from toddlers to teenagers. She said most people are familiar with the “playground bullies,” who pick on students while they are at school, but many people are unaware that young people are routinely involved in cyber-bullying over the Internet. Although the bullying may not leave the physical bruising or obvious marks, it can cause irreparable emotional damage to vulnerable children and teens, as evidenced by Walsh’s suicide. When Harmon asked, “How many people here have been bullied at school?”, at least a dozen students raised their hands.

“Kids can be brutal nowadays,” she said. “Parents, talk to your kids. Wake up. It’s a lot more serious than you know.”

Prosecutor Tracy Webb, head of the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office’s Cyber Crimes Division, said there are many ways people bully others using the Internet or social networking websites. Webb said programs like Facebook or Instagram are great for staying connected with friends, but young people also commonly use them to spread rumors or hate speech about classmates. She cited examples of ways cyber-bullying occurs to show parents what to look for. One tactic is to set up a fake profile, separate from the individual’s regular profile. Young people often do this so their parents will not see hateful messages or photos being posted about their peers. Another example is when someone sets up a fake profile for the person they are bullying using that person’s name and photo, with false postings about their sexual orientation or other personal information. In such cases, it sets the victim up to be bullied by other classmates and strangers.

“It happens all the time. The interesting thing is that when we talk to these victims, they say don’t have any idea it is even going on,” Webb said, adding that the victims often don’t realize why they are being bullied. “That is an example of a real case. From our standpoint, from a law enforcement standpoint, it is a crime. The California penal code now says that when someone creates a fake profile, it is a crime.”

Criminal penalties vary on a case-by-case basis, but depending on the extent of the bullying, it can range from fines to imprisonment in jail for a misdemeanor. If a fraud is committed or someone is physically injured, it could result in a felony charge.

Webb cited other examples of cyber-bullying, such as sending hateful anonymous text messages to a victim or posting hateful message in chatrooms. She added that anytime something is posted on the Internet, whether it is a message or a photo, it will be there forever.

“There is nothing anonymous on the Internet,” Webb said. “All of these programs can be used for really great reasons, but there is also a downside, a dark side that we want to avoid.”

The prosecutor stressed the importance of not being a “bystander”, or someone who learns about a case of cyber-bullying but does nothing to prevent it. Webb stressed that parents closely monitor their children’s activities on the Internet, and that they look for signs that their children are either bullying someone else, or are the victims of bullying.

“A common response is ‘I was only kidding,’ or ‘We were just having fun’,”  Webb added. “It’s not fun, and it’s illegal.”

Max Gouttebroze, of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, said Walsh’s death led to the creation of “Spirit Day” in 2010, and this year it will be observed on Friday, Oct. 19. People are encouraged to wear purple and take photographs of themselves on “Spirit Day” to show opposition to bullying, and to post them on social media websites or send them to others through text messages or Tweets. People can also visit www.glaad.org/spiritday to make a pledge against bullying, or to learn more about prevention programs.

“[There are] ways to use social media to make a positive impact,” Gouttebroze said. “During the first two years, we’ve had millions of people around the world participating. Many said for the first time, they felt like they were not alone.”

Capt. Beatrice Girmala, commanding officer for the Los Angeles Police Department’s Hollywood Division, said forums like the one at the Hollywood Palladium are important because they reach children at a young age. She said personnel at the station co-sponsor similar events in schools and other locations in the community to engage parents and their children.

“When we look at hate crimes and the impacts hate crimes have on individuals and society as a whole, we realize it begins somewhere, and it usually begins at a very young age,” Girmala said. “People who commit hate crimes in high school or as adults were usually affected at a younger age, and were victims of bullying.”

On Wednesday, the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center (LAGLC) announced a partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District to address bullying, particularly among LGBT students. Known as Project SPIN (Suicide Prevention Intervention Now), the partnership will bring teachers, administrators and parents together for forums similar to the one at the Palladium to identify signs of bullying and methods for prevention.

“For too many young LGBT people, the ringing of the school bell connotes suffering instead of learning,” LAGLC CEO Lorri Jean said. “Many feel they must hide who they are, while others face merciless harassment and bullying, even violence, on the playground, in the classroom and in the locker room. By collaborating with LAUSD, which includes 1,160 schools and more than 664,000 students, we’re working to change the often intolerant, bullying culture of schools so that all kids feel safe.”